First for Everything
by Myra the Sark
Summary: A two-shot. A little plot-puppy that has been lurking in my head for a while...I'm trying to keep everyone in character, but being a fanfic writer, I can't help but tweak a few things.


"It should be around here somewhere," Bren said, looking at the Core-Tablet as he walked.

"It better be," Dax grumbled, looking around in a slightly-worried manner—the particular area of Southern Alappia they were in was notorious for mudslides and rockslides—which was probably why the STORM base in the area had been abandoned, and a different one being put up by the base of the cliffs a safe distance away. The fact that the area was often battered by heavy rainstorms at this time of year didn't help.

Even then, that wasn't the end of their concerns: there was also Chase they needed to worry about. The day before, he hadn't touched any food, saying he wasn't hungry each time any of them asked—and when they got up in the morning, he had again turned down breakfast, and looked pale. When Jinja had asked if he was okay, he had replied that he was fine…when he clearly wasn't. A few minutes ago he had been muttering that it was too hot. It was the middle of autumn, and it was not that warm out.

Then Beyal said, "Up there," and they looked to see a small plateau halfway up the mountain, where the base was located precariously on the edge—it was probably bolted into place by about fifty supports or whatever, but they could only wonder why it was built _there_ of all places.

The only reason they were going there was because there was apparently a stolen Core-Tech core in the base that had been left behind…but they didn't know if it was still there or not.

* * *

She couldn't believe Trey had forgotten the _core _of all things. True, Charlemagne had it in her hand at the moment—ice-blue with white grips—but she couldn't help but feel exasperated.

The two Elites that had accompanied her to the abandoned base was staring at something down the ledge. "Vhat are you looking at?" she asked.

In response on of them pointed. She looked…and saw that none other than Chase Suno and his team were down there.

The commandant smirked a bit. What better opportunity to capture them? Maybe even try out the Monsuno she had just retrieved?

* * *

Jinja knew she shouldn't have been surprised to see the two STORM Elites…but Charlemagne? While Chase was _obviously _sick? Bad luck at its worst.

The two Elites had immediately spun out their cores—Crossbolt and Goldhorn. Yet Charlemagne didn't send out Driftblade or anything. _What's she waiting for?_

"C'mon guys," Chase said, taking out Lock's core. They followed up with Neo-Quickforce, Skyfall, Mysticblade, and Airswitch—when Jinja noticed something very crucial. It had started raining—but that wasn't it.

What the crucial thing was, was that Charlemagne was holding an ice-blue core with white grips. The very core they had come looking for.

Of course, she just _had _to spin it out.

The core collided with Lock's, and the Monsuno that appeared resembled an Arctic wolf, except it had wings on its back. It had talons for hind feet and both they and its front claws were composed of dark-blue crystal—sapphire. It had neon-blue stripes on the inside of its legs, and a single stripe ran from its forehead all the way to the tip of its tail.

It let out a loud howl, backed up by battle cries from Crossbolt and Goldhorn. It looked so _wrong_. "This is gonna be something to tell the doc," Dax muttered at the same time as Bren's "Oh krag…"

"Can't focus on that now," Chase said hazily. "Loc, Jaw of Light!" The polar-bear Monsuno shot a beam of pure energy at the wolf Monsuno, but it jumped straight up, flaring its wings. It then went right at Skyfall, fangs bared.

If anything, the wolf was the only real trouble during the fight, as Crossbolt and Goldhorn were sent back into their cores without much difficulty, and their controllers scrammed.

Charlemagne looked none-too-pleased. "Blizzardblade, Plasma Chill!" she ordered. The wolf-falcon shot an icy beam of plasmatic energy straight at Lock.

"Elemental Bunker!" Chase retaliated quickly.

What happened next was as such: the attack as deflected not at another Monsuno or even into the sky, but instead at a cliff-face…which immediately shattered into a million pieces, sending about one ton of rock and mud hurtling down towards them.

* * *

Chase shakily stood, steadying himself on a rock. It didn't feel like anything was broken, which was good. How had he gotten into a shallow part of a river? Everything was all blurry for some reason; when did it get so foggy?

He tried focusing on someone who had also stood up. The person stared at him a bit before coming over and yanking his arm hard, saying something loudly.

Chase winced—didn't this person understand that he didn't feel so good and had a really bad headache at the moment?

Without warning, everything went black.

* * *

Charlemagne had been surprised enough that she had not only simply sustained a few bruises from the landslide, but she was _alive_ in general. Her Monsuno had returned to its core. Thankfully she had hit the shallow part of the river, since…swimming wasn't one of her better skills. It had also been a surprise to see Chase only a scant yard away.

She hadn't expected for him to keel over unconscious suddenly, though. Yet now that she looked at him, he looked pale, and seemed feverish.

_Oh no,_ she thought after curiosity got the better of her and she had put a hand on his forehead—he really did have a fever, and a bad one.

The rain had also picked up, and visibility was rapidly decreasing. Which was getting her even more soaked that she already was.

It would be incredibly stupid and dangerous to find the Hopper in this weather. And though this was a perfect opportunity, Chase clearly wasn't capable of even standing up at the moment, let alone walk. And there was _no way in heck_ that she was going to carry him.

So until then, she'd just have to keep a hawk's-eye on him and find some shelter from the rain.

* * *

When Chase woke up again, everything was still blurry. He felt like he should have been cold, but he felt horribly too warm, and his throat felt dry, and his stomach hurt.

Abruptly he didn't feel water falling on his face anymore, and he became aware that he was on the ground now—rock floor. Had someone been carrying him?

He tried lifting his head. Chase could see someone there, wearing white…but who was it?

* * *

She hadn't known how she had seen the cavern there, but she was glad that she did. Anything to get out of that downpour. In the end she'd ended up carrying him anyways—he was limp as a ragdoll.

Charlemagne knew those two Elites, although they were cowards, wouldn't dare even think of leaving without her, so she would wait until the rain had stopped. Her makeup was a complete mess by now thanks to the rain, unfortunately.

Then she noticed that the teen was attempting to get up, but he fell over again. She couldn't help it—she frowned a bit. He looked absolutely _miserable_.A thought came to her, and as much as she tried to dismiss it, it lingered.

Sighing, she moved to get his jacket off of him. Being soaked was _never_ good for someone who was sick, which he clearly was.

* * *

Again he tried standing—he had to find the others and help them. But whoever that person was wasn't letting him leave!

Chase tried focusing, but things remained blurry. _Who is that, anyways?_ He looked closely at the person, and something struck him. His mom had been wearing white…so was that her?

"Is that you mom?" he asked raspily. She went stiff and looked at him, while he managed to pick himself up and pull himself over. "Where'd you go?" he went on, resting his head on her lap. She didn't respond, looking ahead in a somewhat-blank manner.

* * *

In truth, she had no idea what to do. Charlemagne had known that Jeredy's wife had vanished barely even a year after Chase had been born—the scientist hadn't come in for an entire two weeks while trying to find her—but the commandant had never given a thought as to how it may have affected Chase. Though unfocused, he kept his gaze on her, waiting for an answer. "You aren't gonna leave again are you?" he added.

An idea struck her. The base was abandoned in a hurry, which meant a lot of things were left behind.

Including medicine.

After propping him against the cavern wall, she stood and started toward the exit. "W-Where are you going?" Chase asked in a somewhat-panicked tone. "Don't leave!"

She paused, biting her lip. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that he was—oh wait, he _was _crying a bit. Wondering what she had just gotten herself into, she said, "I'm only going to get something for you."

"Oh." He sniffled a bit. "Well, you can't walk up to the base if that's where it is. But you can borrow Evo to get up." The teen took out a sky-blue core with orange grips.

He was definitely delirious if he was willingly lending her one of his Monsunos.

The rain had let up a bit, luckily, but it was still far too dangerous to try climbing on foot. The core that Chase had given her—Evo—felt way different compared to, say, Blackbullet's core. As with Blizzardblade and Driftblade.

After being spun out, the bird Monsuno regarded her warily. She returned the gaze, and after a minute, it lowered its head so she could climb on.

Before she did as such, she paused. She'd never been on a flying Monsuno before. Then again, there was a first for everything…and this day was consisting of a few of those.

* * *

**Trivia: Blizzardblade will be appearing in "Prophecy" at some point as well. ~Myra**


End file.
